Morestead & Marwell Class Explore the Arctic!

This week, Morestead Class and Marwell Class had a truly unforgettable experience when a visiting parent came in to share their incredible story of organising Treks across the Arctic. The talk brought this icy, far-away part of the world right into our classrooms—and the children were fascinated from start to finish!

❄️ Life in the Arctic: Fascinating Facts

The children discovered what makes the Arctic such a unique environment:

• Winter temperatures can fall below –40°C

• The sun doesn’t rise at all in the deep winter (the “polar night”)

• In summer, it never sets—the “midnight sun”

• Wildlife must be specially adapted, including polar bears, Arctic foxes, walruses, and incredibly hardy plants

These real-world examples helped the pupils imagine what it’s really like to survive in extreme cold.

🥾 What Do You Need for an Arctic Expedition?

Our guest speaker showed the classes the types of gear needed on a real expedition:

• Layered clothing: thermal base layers, fleece mid-layers, and waterproof outer shells to trap heat

• Extreme-temperature boots and thick insulated gloves

• Goggles to protect eyes from snow glare

• Sledges for carrying food and equipment

• Tents built to withstand high winds and freezing conditions

The pupils were amazed by how carefully everything must be planned when travelling through such a harsh landscape.

🍲 Food on the Ice

Another highlight was learning about the food needed to stay energised:

• High-calorie meals such as pasta, rice, and freeze-dried dishes

• Lots of snacks—nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, energy bars

• Warm drinks made throughout the day to stop the body from getting too cold

The children enjoyed guessing which foods the trekkers ate and which ones would freeze too solid to bite!

🔬 Science in Action: Melting Ice to Make Safe Hot Water

To finish the session, classes took part in an experiment to explore one of the biggest challenges in the Arctic—melting ice or snow safely for drinking water.

The children learned:

• Never to eat ice or snow directly (it lowers body temperature).

• Why trekkers always add a small amount of warm water first, then slowly melt ice on a stove.

• How long it takes to melt enough for a warm drink!

The experiment helped pupils think like real explorers as they observed how heat changes ice into water and how energy is needed to keep it warm.

⭐ A Big Thank You!

We are incredibly grateful to our visiting parent for bringing this extraordinary experience to Morestead and Marwell Class. Their stories and equipment demonstrations gave the children a deeper understanding of Arctic exploration—and inspired many future adventurers!